Northern Alliance agrees to takepart in UN-sponsored meet

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Northern Alliance on Sunday agreed to take part in a UN-sponsored conference on the formation of a broad-based government in Afghanistan later this week in Europe, even as a defiant Taleban refused to withdraw from Kandahar.

With Northern Alliance forces tightening their siege around the northern city of Kunduz, where four US bombers pounded Taleban positions, there were reports that thousands of militia fighters holed up there were killing each other to avoid capture.

Kandahar also came under US bombardment.

About 60 Chechen fighters drowned themselves in the nearby Amu river and a Northern Alliance commander said 25 trapped Taleban fighters shot each other when they saw opposition troops advancing towards them, CNN reported from Kunduz.

As Afghan warlords were attempting to carve out territory for themselves, raising the spectre of more internal chaos and civil war, UN special envoy Fransesc Vendrell held talks in Kabul with Alliance leaders, including former president Burhanuddin Rabbani on convening a conference of various Afghan factions to form a broad-based government.

Vendrell also held talks with Alliance foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah who told reporters that the Northern Alliance was ready to take part in the proposed UN-sponsored
conference as early as this week and venues considered for talks were Austria, Germany or Switzerland.

"We are committed to the formation of a fully representative broad-based government" and the Alliance would continue to pursue fight against Al-Qaeda terrorist network, he said in Tashkent.